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Hungary’s PM Seeks Public Backing for Homeless Ban

By

Veronika Gulyas

Dec 5, 2012 5:03 pm CET

Hungary's combative prime minister is taking a unique approach to tackling the country's homeless problem. He wants simply to ban it. Having been thwarted in this attempt last month when a constitutional court decided the move —making the act of living in the street an offense—was illegal, Viktor Orban is now taking the matter to the people.

If those living in Hungary's biggest cities decide they don't want homeless people on their streets, Mr. Orban may also change the constitution to make sure councils can ban them, and that the courts can no longer overrule him.

Hungary's homeless shelter foundation, Menhely Alapitvany, says banning homelessness isn't the solution and called instead on the government to create the circumstances that would prevent it happening in the first place. If the ban is put in place, homeless people will likely be receive fines they cannot pay and end up in prison, the foundation says.